Fact or fiction

Eighty teams throughout Colorado are three victories away from a state title. Are you sure you know what it takes for them to win?

Is it essential to have a great point guard? Or a dominant post player? Is experience overrated? Is a team that relies on the 3- pointer doomed? Is keeping an unbeaten record intact too much pressure?

All 13 coaches with area teams alive in the state tournaments answered these questions.

1. You cannot win a state title without an outstanding point guard.

FACT: 11

FICTION: 2

"You have to really have someone you can trust to have the ball in his hands during crucial parts of the game. He has to be somebody who really knows his teammates and knows himself. And he must be able to take over at the end."

- CSCS boys coach Alan Karg

"I think when it gets to this part of the season, all of the teams have outstanding point guards. A really good point guard never has much trouble with presses and they are a person who can carry a team."

- Lewis-Palmer girls coach Russ Smith

"Everybody doesn't run an offense just with a point guard. It's nice to have a great point guard, but that isn't essential. I've seen it done before (without a great point guard)."

- Sierra boys coach Brent Garretson

2. You cannot win a state title without a dominant post player.

FACT: 4

FICTION: 8

NOT SURE: 1

"A perfect example (of this not being true) is Dakota Ridge a couple of years ago. Good perimeter players, good 3-point shooters, not real tough in the key as far as a 'legitimate' post player goes."

- Widefield girls coach Jim Mason

(tallest player: 6-0)

"Being able to go to a big man underneath is a plus, but it comes down to what type of kids you have around him too. It's nice to have a big man who can score whenever you need one."

- Limon boys coach Don Schmidt

(tallest player: 6-5)

"I think you have to have a good big man but not an outstanding one. There are other ways to establish an inside presence. ... I'd definitely rather have a tremendous point guard unless the guy is 7- 2."

- Lewis-Palmer boys coach Bob Cavera (tallest player: 6-3)

3. Experience matters.

FACT: 12

FICTION: 1

"There's no substitute for having been there, and Sierra this year is a perfect example. Even though the other guys may not have played, they're in the program. They watched, they practiced with the program, they know what it takes."

- Mitchell boys coach Jim Grantz, who starts five seniors and has four players who were on last year's quarterfinal team

"I don't know if it's critical. One senior plays (for Doherty) yet I consider us pretty experienced because we have a lot of club team players."

- Doherty girls coach Phil Johnson

"To a certain extent this is true. These are 16-, 17-, 18-year- old kids. Emotions and concentration are key. If that means you're seniors and you're able to do that, fine. If you're a sophomore and you can do that it's fine."

- Widefield boys coach Mark Muoz

4. A team that relies on outside shooting cannot win a state title.

FACT: 9

FICTION: 3

NOT SURE: 1

"If you go cold, you might not (win a championship). But you might not go cold."

- Sierra boys coach Brent Garretson

"Teams are more suspect to have an off shooting night. You live by the gun, you die by the gun. Teams that find a way to score on easy shots win more ballgames."

- Lewis-Palmer boys coach Bob Cavera

"I think with the 3-point shot, if you have a couple of 3-point threats, I think you can win by doing it. I don't know if history backs me up on that one."

- Mitchell boys coach Jim Grantz

5. A team is better off having lost already than coming in unbeaten.

FACT: 3

FICTION: 5

NOT SURE: 5

"It's not necessarily better to come in with a loss, so long as you're tested."

- CSCS girls coach Mason Young, whose team was unbeaten last season before its quarterfinal loss

"I've been in that situation a couple times (with Lamar's girls) and you sometimes are more afraid of losing than just playing your game. There's a strong fear of losing when you carry that streak into the postseason."

- ECA boys coach Dennis Bruns

"It helped us to lose that one game (this season). ... I think losing a game took some pressure off."

- Limon girls coach Mark Brown, whose team is 22-1

"I would welcome that pressure. I'd love to come into this tournament unbeaten."

- Doherty girls coach Phil Johnson, whose team is 21-1

Copyright 2001
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.